STARGAZER TO THE STARS; GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY TO GET UPDATE.Byline: Robert Monroe Staff Writer The Griffith Observatory Griffith Observatory is located in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the , portal to the celestial heavens Celestial Heavens is an independent fan site dedicated to the Might and Magic series. Starting up in 1999, the site focuses on bringing news and background information to interested parties, as well as hosting files related to the game such as maps and modificiations. and backdrop for such films as ``Rebel Without a Cause,'' is getting a $58 million face lift, officials said Monday. Architects unveiled plans to modernize mod·ern·ize v. mo·dern·ized, mo·dern·iz·ing, mo·dern·iz·es v.tr. To make modern in appearance, style, or character; update. v.intr. To accept or adopt modern ways, ideas, or style. the 64-year-old icon of art deco art deco (ärt dĕkō`; är dākō`, ärt) or art moderne (är môdĕrn`, ärt) style but promised not to alter the famous building's exterior. The renovation will include a refurbishing of the planetarium planetarium, optical device used to project a representation of the heavens onto a domed ceiling; the term also designates the building that houses such a device. A modern planetarium consists of as many as 150 motor-driven projectors mounted on an axis. and a new, 27,000-square-foot underground space for exhibits and a lecture hall lecture hall n → sala de conferencias; (UNIV) → aula lecture hall lecture n → amphithéâtre m . ``They just want to modernize it a little,'' said Chuck Doble, who coordinates film shoots at the observatory. ``No one's really interested in changing that unique architecture.'' Bond measures and grants from the state and foundations have provided all but $23 million of the money needed for the work, with the remainder expected to come from contributions. ``There's no question that we'll make it,'' said Joy Picus, a former city councilwoman who is president of Friends of the Observatory The Friends of the Observatory, an interest group was established in August 1996 by the Hong Kong Observatory. This interest group is aimed to help the Observatory to promote Hong Kong Observatory and its services to the public, provide science extension activities in relation to . ``Very little has been done to it since 1935,'' said Picus, who rates the observatory as one of the two landmark buildings that epitomize Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. along with City Hall. ``If you look closely, paint is peeling, there are cracks.'' About half of the $58 million will come from Proposition A, a bond measure passed by city voters in 1992, and Proposition K, which was passed by voters in 1997. The two initiatives provided $28 million toward the renovation, as detailed in a 1990 master plan. Grants from the Ahmanson Foundation, the state and small organizations contributed an additional $7 million. Picus said fund-raising has just gotten under way in the last month and that other major foundations will probably be those most aggressively pursued. Construction and refurbishing will begin in 2001. The finished product will include a new subterranean building that will house larger exhibits, office space and a larger gift shop. Under the observatory's famous dome will be a projector to replace the 35-year-old Zeiss model kept operational by the ingenuity of an observatory staff hard-pressed to find replacement parts, Picus said. A new projector could cost between $8 million and $10 million. ``The problem we have been facing is not only the absence of stars but the virtual reality of the theater is getting creakier by the year,'' said observatory director Edwin Krupp. ``It turns out there is absolutely stunning equipment now available for the planetarium of the 21st century.'' |
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